Matt Kemp and Kiké Hernandez provided early run support for Ross Stripling, as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres, 4-1, to earn a seventh win in their last eight games. They kept pace with Colorado Rockies to remain 3.5 games back in the National League West.
Much like Kenta Maeda the night prior, Stripling built upon an impressive start his previous time out. Having set a career high with nine strikeouts against the Washington Nationals, he broke that by fanning 10 Rockies.
Stripling allowed just one run (unearned) and allowed six hits across 6.2 innings. One of which was a Manuel Margot double in the third inning. Yasiel Puig failed to cleanly field the ball down the right-field line, then was slow to pick up the ball, allowing Margot to take third base.
Margot scored two batters later on a groundout. In the fourth, Stripling stranded a Jose Pirela leadoff double. Two others hits Stripling allowed were on well-struck balls that Justin Turner typically makes stops on.
Pedro Baez struck out Manuel Margot to end the seventh and officially close the book on Stripling, who earned the win.
Clayton Richard went into Friday’s game having allowed four runs in 15.1 innings over his last two starts. That was matched by Kemp’s three-run home run in the first inning and Hernandez’s opposite-field solo shot with two outs in the third.
Richard largely settled in from there, inducing a double play in the fourth inning after allowing a one-out single, and stranding two more runners in the sixth.
While the Dodgers went quiet after their pair of home runs, the bullpen combined for 2.1 hitless innings. Tony Cingrani retired the side in order in the eighth, and Kenley Jansen entered in the ninth to convert his 11th save of the season.
With Stripling shouldering the load, Dodgers pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts on the night.
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